Rugby League player Owen Trout has served a one-month ban from all World Anti-Doping Code-compliant sport, following an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) for the presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolite or Markers. At the time of this announcement, Mr Trout is free to resume participation in sport.
On 20 March 2026, UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) collected a urine Sample from Mr Trout, In-Competition, at the Betfred Super League match between Wakefield Trinity and his then team, Leigh Leopards. Analysis of Mr Trout’s Sample returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for carboxy-THC, a Metabolite of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound found in cannabis.
THC is prohibited In-Competition only and is listed as a cannabinoid at S8 of the 2026 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. THC is also identified as a ‘Substance of Abuse’. Athletes who test positive for a Substance of Abuse may receive a reduced three-month ban, if they can prove that they ingested the substance Out-of-Competition and in a context unrelated to sport performance. This can be reduced further to a one-month ban if the Athlete completes an approved Substance of Abuse treatment programme.
UKAD notified Mr Trout of the AAF and imposed a Provisional Suspension. Mr Trout admitted to consuming a cannabis gummy and smoking cannabis joints in the week leading up to the match on 20 March 2026. Mr Trout stated that he had since ceased all use of cannabis and was commencing a Substance of Abuse treatment programme.
An independent?scientific?expert concluded that?Mr Trout’s ingestion of THC most likely took?place?Out-of-Competition (i.e., before?11:59pm on 19 March 2026).
On 20 July 2026, UKAD formally charged Mr Trout with an ADRV pursuant to ADR Article 2.1 (presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers). Mr Trout admitted the charge and provided UKAD with satisfactory evidence of his completion of an approved Substance of Abuse treatment programme.
Affording Mr Trout credit for the time spent provisionally suspended, Mr Trout’s one-month ban is deemed to have commenced on 22 May 2026 (the date on which the Provisional Suspension?was imposed) and expired on 21 June 2026, leaving Mr Trout free to compete in sport again.
